Batman: Assault on Arkham is a direct-to-video animated superhero film under the DC brand. It takes place in the same universe as the Batman: Arkham series of video games by RockSteady Studios, two years before Batman: Arkham Asylum. It was released on August 12, 2014 and rated PG-13 for violence, sexual conduct, and language.

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Gotham is in great danger when the government assembles a group of villains — code named the Suicide Squad — and forces them to break into Arkham Asylum to retrieve top secret information stolen by the Riddler. Things take a turn for the worse when one of the Squad members (Harley Quinn) frees the Joker, who is intent on blowing up Arkham Asylum and Gotham City. Batman must use his super hero wits and strength to thwart the wicked plans of the Joker and the Suicide Squad.

Batman has to act fast to locate the bomb and contend with not only the Joker and the Riddler, but also with Task Force X, also known as the Suicide Squad, composed of Deadshot, Killer Frost, Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, King Shark, and Black Spider, who are themselves trying to foil the Joker's bomb plot as well as retrieve critical data on the Suicide Squad that he stole. The Suicide Squad, likewise, also has to deal with internal friction within the group as they attempt to complete their mission.

Although not explicitly stated or shown, it is implied in a few minor sequences that the setting of the film, like in Arkham Origins, was during the Christmas season:

The Joker twice whistling the Christmas carol Jingle Bells (albeit his own take on it) in two separate scenes;

One of the desks at Arkham Asylum has a miniature Christmas Tree on it.

When Killer Frost mentions that the revelation of Joker hiding a stolen dirty bomb somewhere in Gotham City "gives [her] the chills," Captain Boomerang tells her "Ice puns? Really?" in a disgusted tone. This is an unsubtle reference to the infamously negative reception of the Schumacher movie Batman & Robin, more specifically its characterization of Mr. Freeze who frequently spouted ice puns.

The film included several elements of the New 52:

Harley Quinn and Deadshot's relationship was taken from the New 52;

Deadshot and Captain Boomerang's rivalry was taken from the New 52.

Harley Quinn's distraction of robbing a toy store was a reference to Catwoman's first crime in Batman Returns.

This movie has severial references to Batman: Shadow of the Bat where the first capture Batman made is of Zsasz who assaults a woman and gets stopped by the cops and Batman.